Carapace a little longer than broad and depressed; dorsal surface very weakly convex in both directions and minutely granulated, with fine oblique plications on posterolateral parts. Rostrum triangular, abruptly curved and concave above, being armed with a tubercle at proximal part of each lateral border, which is deeply isolated from supraorbital tubercle. Epibranchial tooth not angulated, and branchial margin thinly crested. Chelipeds heavy and unequal, being nearly smooth to naked eye and being fringed with soft long hairs on outer border of palm; distal part of inner border of merus and proximal part of inner border of carpus produced to be lobate, and a small spine at distal end of outer border of carpus; cutting edge of movable finger angulated at its proximal part in larger chela, but rounded in smaller chela.
Distribution:
West Atlantic from North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to Brazil, 5-85 m deep.
Remarks:
The Pacific analogue, P. cancrisocialis Glassell, is widely distributed throughout the tropical eastern Pacific region.